High resolution hall effect position sensor with a high immunity against electromagnetic noise

ABSTRACT

The present invention concerns an absolute position sensor based on the use of Hall effect sensors applied to the control of electric motors and mechanical shafts

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention refers to the field of position and movement sensors.

STATE OF THE ART

The use of Hall effect sensors for the detection of the spectrum and intensity of magnetic fields is known in the art.

The operation of these sensors is based on the measurement of the interference that the incident magnetic field causes to the electrical current within the sensor and requires their positioning so as to be affected only by the magnetic field source that needs to be measured. When such magnetic field, generated for example inside an electric motor, has a shape which allows an indirect measurement—via magnetosensitive sensors—of operational variables such as, for example, the position or speed of rotation of a mechanical shaft, there may be a problem concerning the effective use of said sensors, which is very difficult especially when said sensors are inside the electric motor.

As a matter of fact, if on the one hand the high degree of measurement accuracy given by the Hall effect sensors offers the possibility to effectively determine the operational variables of the electric motor, on the other hand the high level of electromagnetic noise produced inside the electric motor normally makes it unfeasible to achieve an appropriate positioning of the Hall sensor so as to be sufficiently immune to the magnetic fields which are not relevant to the measurement.

From what has been described, it is evident that it would be desirable to achieve a measuring device and a measurement method based on Hall effect sensors able to overcome the above drawbacks and make it possible to take advantage of the accuracy and versatility of said sensors in specific areas such as, for example, the determination of operational variables of electric motors.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention describes a position sensor with a high resolution Hall effect and high immunity against electromagnetic noise to be used for controlling electric motors and mechanical shafts. Said sensor comprises the mapping means of a magnetic field related to operational variables internal to an electric motor; detection devices of said magnetic field; acquisition and processing means of the signals produced by said magnetic field detection devices. A particular aim of the present invention is to disclose a device and a method for measuring operational variables of electric motors with the use of a position sensor employing a high resolution and high electromagnetic interference immunity Hall effect sensor, as described more fully in the claims below, which are an integral part of the present description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1: Overall view of a particular embodiment of the device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2: Block diagram of the device according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device, according to the present invention, comprises a position sensor with a high resolution and high electromagnetic interference immunity Hall effect sensor to be used for controlling electric motors and mechanical shafts. Generally, said device comprises: mapping means of magnetic fields related to operational variables of an electric motor; detection means of said magnetic field; acquisition and processing means of the signals produced by said magnetic field detection means.

With reference to FIG. 1, we can see a possible embodiment of the device according to the present invention. Said embodiment includes the following parts:

-   -   A device for mapping magnetic fields related to operational         variables of an electric motor, realised, for example, by a disk         made of non-ferromagnetic material, for example aluminium 10,         provided with a certain number of circular sockets 11 on the         outer boundary, related to the number of poles of the motor 13,         the shaft angular position of which is to be measured. Said         number can be chosen, for example, equal to the number of the         poles of the motor 13 or equal to a multiple or a sub-multiple         of said number.

In a preferred embodiment of the device according to the present invention, the said non-ferromagnetic disk shall have a diameter between 200 mm and 500 mm, in particular, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in which said diameter is equal to 220 mm

-   -   A set of magnets 12, for example circular-shaped, which fit into         said sockets. In a preferred embodiment of the present         invention, sixteen Nd—Fe—B circular-shaped magnets, type         SC35MA80° C., having a diameter of 30 mm, a thickness of 2 mm         will be used and will be placed with their geometric centers         located around a circumference of 183 mm in diameter.     -   Two linear Hall effect sensors 20, 21, for example of the         differential type, placed in mutual electrical quadrature and         facing said aluminium disk on which the magnets 12 are placed.     -   An interface and acquisition card 14 which comprises means for         extracting information regarding the absolute electrical angular         position from the output signals of the Hall effect sensors.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said means for extracting information regarding the absolute electrical angular position from the output signals of the Hall effect sensors are shown in the block diagram in FIG. 2, which include the following:

-   -   Hall effect sensors 20, 21;     -   an analog signals processing card 22 used for: reconstructing         the magnetic field value from the differential output signals of         sensors 20 and 21, making sure that any electrical offsets are         totally removed and ensuring an appropriate amplification of the         detected signal;     -   two analog multipliers 23, 24, if required;     -   two signal amplifiers 25, 26;     -   a programmable oscillator 28;     -   an RTDC (Resolver To Digital Converter) module 27, if required,         namely a functional unit which is normally made with commercial         components according to the methods described in the prior art         and able to achieve angular information when connected to a         conventional “resolver” device;     -   a microprocessor acquisition card 29, if required.

The device may be completed with a self-calibration circuitry, if required, which is able, for instance, to allow proper operation even in case of parameter variations of the electronic and magnetic components caused by the ageing or altered environmental conditions in which the device operates.

The non-ferromagnetic disk 10 is solidly connected with the electric motor shaft, the motion of which is to be analyzed in addition to the determination of the exact angular position of the rotor. Depending on the type of motor being tested, it is possible to choose an appropriate setup of the device according to the present invention in order to allow the specific arrangement of the magnets 12 in the recesses 11 to exactly reproduce the magnetic field spectrum in order to measure the operational variables of the motor involved. As a result of such configuration, it is possible to read, at the terminals of the Hall effect sensors, for example two pairs of analog differential signals which, when appropriately processed, will result in pseudo-sinusoidal signals in quadrature between each other with the same frequency of the values of the supply current of the motor under test and from which it will be possible to extract, for example, the instantaneous electrical angular position of the rotor with a process based on the properties of elementary trigonometric functions.

The above-mentioned magnetic field mapping and detection means can be implemented within the same electric motor of which the operation parameters are being measured, without showing the problems mentioned above, and associated with the presence of a high level of electromagnetic noise generated inside the electric motor during its normal operation.

Specifically, the method for the determination of the angular position of the motor, according to the present invention, is carried out according to the following steps:

-   -   a) The Hall effect sensors 20, 21 detect the magnetic field of         the magnets 12 placed on the outer boundary of the aluminium         disk 10, thereby generating two differential electrical signals;     -   b) The signals obtained at step a) are processed by the         processing card 22 in order to shape them into sinusoidal         signals in quadrature between each other     -   c) The signals obtained at step b) will eventually be modulated         in amplitude via a sinusoidal signal generated from the         programmable oscillator 28 with a suitable frequency (for         example, twenty times higher, although it is also possible to         employ a “zero frequency” modulating signal: in this case the         output signal from the multiplier will have the same shape of         the original input signal and an amplitude scaled up or down by         a multiplicative constant) relative to the maximum electric         frequency of the motor supply current, said maximum frequency         being equal to the frequency of rotation multiplied by the         number of poles of the electric machine.     -   d) The signals obtained at step c) are processed by a “Resolver         To Digital Converter” (RTDC) circuitry 27 in order to extract         the data related to the angular position of the motor, thereby         making it available for subsequent processings, if any.

The following specifies more in detail the processings carried out by the method previously described.

Assuming θ is the instantaneous electrical angular position of the rotor to be determined; and assuming A is the amplitude and ω the angular frequency of the sinusoidal carrier used in step c). The modulated signals generated at step c) and sent to the “Resolver To Digital Converter” (RTDC) will be as follows: IN 1=A·sin ωt·sin θ IN 2=A·sin ωt·cos θ

The RTDC board, already known in the prior art, is generally designed as to transform this information directly into the value of θ which represents the measurement of the required angle, output through a negative feedback system. Let's assume that the RTDC system starts from any arbitrary angle θ value, assuming it is φ, generically represented in digital form by a digital counter within the RTDC board;

In step d), within the RTDC board, the two signals mentioned above are respectively multiplied by the cosine and by the sine of the angle φ, thereby obtaining the following signals: x 1=A·sin ωt·sin θ·cos φ x 2=A·sin ωt·cos θ·sin φ

At the output of the multiplier of the RTDC board, an error amplifier subtracts signal x2 from signal x1, thus obtaining: ε=x 1−x 2=A·sin ωt·(sin θ·cos φ−cos θ−sin φ) or: ε=A·sin ωt·sin(θ−φ)

Lastly, a negative feedback system inside the RTDC board, based on a Phase Locked Loop (PLL), quickly adjusts the value φ of the counter so as to eliminate the angular error (θ−φ).

Therefore, the signal obtained in step d) of the method according to the present invention contains the information related to the absolute electrical angular position which is stored into the N bit counter of the RTDC board and can be output using several communication protocols, such as, for example, serial, parallel, incremental encoder emulation protocols etc. 

1. Device for measuring operational variables of electric motors characterized in that it comprises: mapping means of magnetic fields related to operational variables of an electric motor; detection means of said magnetic field; acquisition and processing means of the signals produced by said magnetic field detection means.
 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said detection means of the electric motor magnetic field comprise at least one Hall effect sensor.
 3. Device according to claims 2, characterized in that said mapping means of the electric motor magnetic field comprise: a non-ferromagnetic disk provided with a plurality of peripheral sockets, preferably circular and solidly connected with the shaft of said electric motor; a plurality of magnets set into said sockets.
 4. Device according to claims 3, characterized in that said detection means of the electric motor magnetic field comprise a pair of Hall effect sensor facing said non-ferromagnetic disk on the surface of which said magnets are set.
 5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said Hall effect sensors are placed in electrical quadrature between each other.
 6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that said Hall effect sensors are of the differential type.
 7. Device according to claims 6, characterized in that said mapping and detection means of the magnetic field related to operational variables of an electric motor are located within the electric motor.
 8. Device according to claims 7, characterized in that said acquisition and processing means of the signals produced by said magnetic field detection means comprise: an analog signal processing card; at least one signal amplifier; at least one programmable oscillator.
 9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that it comprises at least one analog multiplier.
 10. Device according to claims 9, characterized in that it comprises an RTDC module (Resolver To Digital Converter).
 11. Device according to claims 10, characterized in that it comprises a microprocessor acquisition card.
 12. Device according to claims 11, characterized in that it comprises a self-calibration circuitry.
 13. Device according to claims 12, characterized in that the number of said preferably circular sockets is related to the number of poles of said electric motor.
 14. Device according to claims 13, characterized in that the number of said preferably circular sockets is equal to the number of poles of said electric motor.
 15. Device according to claims 14, characterized in that the number of said preferably circular sockets is a multiple or a sub-multiple of the number of poles of said electric motor.
 16. Device according to claims 15, characterized in that it comprises a non-ferromagnetic disk provided with a plurality of peripheral sockets, preferably circular, and locked onto the shaft of said electric motor; a plurality of magnets set into said sockets; a pair of Hall effect sensors placed in electrical quadrature and facing said non-ferromagnetic disk on the surface of which said magnets are set; an analog signal processing card; a pair of analog multipliers; a pair of signal amplifiers; a programmable oscillator; an RTDC module (Resolver To Digital Converter); a microprocessor acquisition card; a self-calibration circuitry.
 17. Device according to claim 16, characterized in that said non-ferromagnetic disk has a diameter between 200 and 500 mm.
 18. Device according to claim 17, characterized in that said non-ferromagnetic disk is made of aluminium.
 19. Device according to claims 18, characterized in that the said magnets are of the Nd—Fe—B type.
 20. Device according to claims 19, characterized in that said magnets have a diameter between 30 and 90 mm and a thickness between 1.5 and 10 mm.
 21. Method for measuring operational variables of electric motors, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) The magnetic field generated by the magnets placed on the outer boundary of the aluminium disk is detected, via Hall effect sensors, generating two differential electrical signals. b) The signals generated in step a) are processed by the processing card in order to shape them as sinusoidal signals in quadrature between each other. c) The signals obtained in step b) may be eventually modulated in amplitude via a sinusoidal signal generated by the programmable oscillator with an appropriate frequency with respect to the maximum electrical frequency of the motor supply current, said maximum frequency being equal to the frequency of rotation multiplied by the number of poles of the electric machine. d) The signals generated at step c) are processed by an RTDC circuitry (Resolver To Digital Converter) in order to extract the data related to the angular position of the motor, thereby making it available for subsequent processings, if any.
 22. Method according to claim 21, characterized in that it is carried out with the device specified in claims
 1. 